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Algorithm allocates Highland ‘significant increase’ in asylum-seeking children
Highland Council says a revised Home Office allocation formula has increased fivefold the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children it is expected to take in, creating significant challenges. The council says its housing shortage, high costs and limited workforce were not factored into the algorithm, raising concerns about its ability to provide suitable support.
Highland currently looks after 72 of the 380 such children in Scotland, according to figures for 31 July 2025. It used to take one child per allocation cycle and is now assigned five; cycles can be two weeks to several months apart. The council receives £143 per day for each child under 18 and £270 a week for those over 18. The Home Office says councils have a statutory duty to support the children and that the National Transfer Scheme is intended to share responsibility fairly.
In short
- Highland’s allocation has risen from one child per cycle to five.
- The council says housing and staffing pressures make this difficult.
- The Home Office says the scheme shares responsibility among councils.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A national allocation formula can help ensure unaccompanied children receive support across the country instead of leaving a small number of councils to carry most of the responsibility. Highland Council’s existing role in caring for 72 of Scotland’s 380 children shows it is already contributing, and a predictable system may give children a route to safety and support wherever suitable places are available.
The case against
A uniform formula may fail to reflect the practical capacity of remote areas, where housing shortages, high costs and limited staffing can make suitable care harder to provide. If those constraints are not considered, a fivefold increase could stretch services and risk placing children in accommodation or support arrangements that do not meet their needs; allocation should account for local capacity as well as sharing responsibility.